AR Eyepiece Optical Assembly with Gesture Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current augmented reality eyepieces lack the ability to provide an interactive and immersive experience with effective control mechanisms and adaptive display characteristics, limiting user interaction with virtual content and environmental awareness.
Innovation Solution
An interactive head-mounted eyepiece with a nano-projector, LCoS display, freeform waveguide lens, and a polarizing beam splitter, enabling a wide field of view, ergonomic design, and integrated processor for handling content, along with a camera for gesture recognition and adaptive display adjustments based on environmental conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a nano-projector with LCoS display and waveguide lens is used to provide wide field of view and immersive display, then display quality and field of view are improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds multiple optical components within each other: the LCoS display is positioned within the nano-projector housing, the coupling lens is integrated into the waveguide lens structure, and the wedge-shaped optic is adhered to the waveguide lens. This nesting approach allows achieving wide field of view with complex optical functionality while maintaining a compact form factor that manages device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The waveguide lens serves multiple functions: it acts as the primary optical element for guiding light from the LCoS display to the user's eye, provides the wedge-shaped correction interface, and enables the overall wide field of view capability. By making this single component multi-functional, the patent reduces the number of separate elements needed, thereby managing complexity while achieving the desired field of view.
2Ease of operation
If integrated sensors and gesture recognition are added to enable interactive control, then user interaction capability is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the device's own camera to capture hand gestures and processes these gestures through integrated algorithms to generate control commands. This self-service approach allows the device to interact with the user without requiring external control mechanisms, improving ease of operation while managing complexity through self-contained functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The gesture recognition system provides real-time feedback by detecting hand movements and translating them into immediate control actions for the augmented reality application. This feedback loop enables intuitive interaction where user gestures directly influence the displayed content, enhancing ease of operation through natural and responsive control.
3Adaptability or versatility
If adaptive display adjustments based on environmental conditions are implemented, then display adaptability is improved, but processing requirements and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system proactively monitors environmental conditions such as ambient light levels and automatically adjusts display parameters in advance of user need. By implementing preliminary detection and adjustment of environmental factors, the system ensures optimal display adaptability while managing power consumption through efficient sensor utilization and incremental adjustments.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables users to interact with virtual content through gestures and control elements, providing an immersive experience while maintaining awareness of the surrounding environment with improved display clarity and adaptability to environmental conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a (two surface) freeform wave guide lens enabling TIR bounces
Implementation Method 2
a wedge-shaped optic (translucent correction lens) adhered to the waveguide lens that enables proper viewing through the lens whether the projector is on or off
Implementation Method 3
The projector may include a polarizing beam splitter or a projection collimator
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure concerns an interactive head-mounted eyepiece with an integrated processor for handling content for display and an integrated image source for introducing the content to an optical assembly through which the user views a surrounding environment and the displayed content, wherein the eyepiece includes an event and sensor triggered control of eyepiece applications.